Detachable linkage having coil springs with integral link-connecting arms



J1me 1961 L. BRUNET ETAL DETACHABLE LINKAGE HAVING COIL SPRINGS WITH INTEGRAL LINK-CONNECTING ARMS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 12, 1957 Z ouxs (DH/WP: 7'

I N V E N TOR5 by (QM/k3 M ATTORN EY June 13, 1961 BRUNET ETAL DETACHABLE LINKAGE HAVING COIL SPRINGS WITH INTEGRAL LINKCONNECTING ARMS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 12, 1957 PIC-3.11.

INVENTORS ATTORNEY June 1961 L. BRUNET ET AL DETACHABLE LINKAGE HAVING COIL SPRINGS WITH INTEGRAL LINK-CONNECTING ARMS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 12, 1957 A 0 0/5 eun/ET L 00/: 67/4 PPFT |NVENTOR$ by W4,

ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,987,872 DETACHABLE LINKAGE HAVING COIL SPRINGS WITH INTEGRAL LINK-CONNECTING ARMS Louis Brunet and Louis Chappet, both of Rue Louis-Revon, Annecy, France Filed Aug. 12, 1957, Ser. No. 677,506 Claims priority, application France Dec. 18, 1956 1 Claim. (Cl. 59-79) The present invention relates to improvements in flexible and extensible metal bracelets wherein two superposed rows of links are connected together so as to enable adjacent links to take up certain positions which are variable as to length and curvature in order to be adapted to various wrist sizes and shapes, and to permit more elongation than could be achieved with hitherto known designs.

The bracelet in question is characterised in that it combines with the link elements known as the lower links, that is to say those whose back is in contact with the users wrist, torsion springs and more particularly coil springs which comprise, in the links which are known as the upper links which are much flatter than the firstmentioned link elements, small bent-over cylindrical arms which penetrate flexibly therein but can be withdrawn therefrom in such manner that it is possible to vary the length of the bracelet according to requirements.

One form of embodiment of the invention is illustrated by Way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an end view of a series of successive links arranged in two planes, shown open at their ends in a partially extended position.

FIGURE 2 is a view of the coil springs grouped in twos so as to constitute only a single element for insertion inside a link in the lower row;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 2 showing a modification;

FIGURE 4 is a partial end view showing a minor feature;

FIGURES 5 and 6 are perspective views showing further modifications;

FIGURES 7 and 8 are an end view and plan thereof respectively showing links in the position of maximum extension;

FIGURES 9 and 10 are end views showing the upper links with spacing members in closed and open positions;

FIGURES 11 and 12 are end views showing the method of demounting and removing some links; and

FIGURES 13 and 14 are a bottom view and top view respectively of an assembly of links showing a modification.

It will be seen from the drawings that the said bracelet has a series of lower links a which are intended to contact the skin of the wrist directly; to this end, these links are preferably made of rustproof steel, They are not joined relatively to one another in the longitudinal sense so as to make it possible to form a curve so that the bracelet can adapt its line to the curvature of the wrist on the one hand and so as not to risk pinching the hairs of the arm on the other hand. They are of box-like or casing form.

A series of upper links [1 may have, especially at their upper sides, any desired ornamentation, colouring and shape. In order to reduce bulk, these links b are made much flatter (smaller radially of the wrist) than the aforesaid links a, but are also made slightly wider so that each link (when not on the wrist) is in contact with the neighbouring links in a row in the same line. These links each have at least an outer wall and downwardly extending sides.

Each of the lower links a is in the form of a small oblong case partly closed at its two ends by bent-over tongues (FIGURE 13), and in each of which are inserted four coil springs c each of which has at one end a small rectilinear portion anchored against rotation in the link whilst its other end has an extension c which functions as a crank, and terminates in a bent-over arm 0 which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the case, externally thereof. As will be seen from the drawings, these bent-over arms project externally of the case and they are held in position axially of the springs by the closure tongues of the said link cases. The aforesaid arms have their free ends inserted into the upper links b and are held in position spaced from one another in any appropriate manner and by any appropriate means, more particularly by means of a plate e which has inturned ends e (FIGURES 11 and 12) and which holds by elastic pressure, acting as a spacer as is shown in FIGURE 1, but in such manner that they can easily be removed by means of a pin in order to demount the said upper link when it is desired to vary the length of the bracelet.

FIGURE 3 shows, in a perspective view similar to FIGURE 2 the group of coil springs c on whose bentover arms 0 there have been mounted tubes f and respectively which are pressed around the arms and connect these arms to one another, the ends of the said arms being in alignment with one another along the axes xx', yy'. The aforesaid tubes are of such size internally as to allow the possibility of rotating almost freely of the said ends, along their axes.

. The foregoing improvement allows greater facility of assembly, since it is sufficient to insert the arms c in the tubes f and f in order to bring all the springs into the desired position for the said assembly, instead of having to act on the four ends of the arms separately.

FIGURE 4, which is a partial end view, shows that if the upper link is to form the decorative element and is not necessarily rounded to form bearing surfaces, it may be given sharp or almost sharp corners such as b or b without however allowing play to the ends of the springs, which would impair the strength of the assembly.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the use on the ends of the spring coils c, of a pair of elements in the form of fork elements g and g whose prongs h are connected at right angles to the body of the respective fork element, and engage the coils without leaving any considerable play, thus preventing them from moving apart from one another longitudinally, for example under the effect of a strong pulling force such as that indicated by the arrows in FIGURES 7 and 8.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a variant of FIGURE 2 wherein the detachable fork elements g g are replaced by fingers h which are bent over at right angles from the end walls g closing the ends of the lower links a, said fingers fulfilling the same functions as the prongs h of FIGURE 7, penetrating into the coil springs c. The fingers h are formed integrally with the end walls of the lower links.

This arrangement considerably improves the strength of the bracelet.

FIGURES 7 and 8 show a group of upper links in the position of maximum extension, carrying the aforesaid fork elements, the extensions c here having moved through at least from the position at which they occupy in the state of least extension. These figures show clearly that the tractive force in the direction of the arrows is taken up entirely by the aforesaid fork elements.

FIGURES 9 and 10 show a modified form of the element which spaces apart the arms a The element shown in FIGURE 9 is in the closed position and in FIGURE 10 it is shown in the open position for the purpose of dismantling the bracelet to remove or to add some links. In this variant, the said element comprises at one end a Patented June 13, 1961 loop i which is bent around the arms which are in alignment with one another, and at the opposite end the said spacer element retains its function of closure by engaging the open edge of the hook-shaped portion of the case link b after the tube shown in FIGURE 3 has been introduced into the interior of the said case. This arrangement provides a dismantleable assembly, no part of which can accidently leave the sections of the bracelet which can be removed, and it eliminates the risk of loosening the other sections.

FIGURES 11 and 12 are end views of some upper and lower links of the bracelet, showing the method used for removing some of these links (for example in order to shorten the length of the bracelet), re-assembly or an assembly of additional links for lengthening the bracelet being carried out by operations in the reverse order to what has been described herei-nbefore, and exerting a pressure in the direction of the arrows f and f which causes the tubes f and f to penetrate into the hooked portion of the upper link.

FIGURES 13 and 14 are a bottom view and top view respectively of an assembly of links, showing the connecting spacer element e which is provided with notches e at its two ends, affording openings into which a pin may be inserted so that the spacer element e can be prized out of its locking position, for dismantling or for the complete removal of the said element e, locking being eifected by only one of the ends of the said element.

The invention allows very considerable extensibility, which may be as much as to rotate the extension 0 through an angle of 90 relatively to the position of the lower links, as shown in FIGURES 7 and 8.

This bracelet can very easily be given a larger or smaller number of links (without using any tool other than a simple pin) for example by removing one or more links if the bracelet is too large (in its least extended condition) or by adding one or more links if the bracelet is too small for the users wrist (again in the least extended condition).

Thus it is no longer necessary for -a shop always to keep in stock a large quantity of each of the models of bracelets which are produced, since each bracelet can always be given a length appropriate to the needs of the purchaser and user, which is very important.

We claim:

An expansible bracelet comprising a series of lower links each having outer and inner walls and side walls forming a box-like structure, a series of upper links each having at least an outer wall and downwardly extending side walls, four coil springs located within each of said lower links, one of said springs extending on one axis over part of the length of the link and being formed continuously with the second of said springs extending over a further part of the length of the link on a second axis, which second axis is substantially parallel to the first mentioned axis, the third of said springs extending on said second axis over the first part of the length of the link and being formed continuously with the fourth of said springs on the first mentioned axis extending over the further part of the length of the link, a plurality of forked elements engaging within the ends of the coil spring and provided within eachlower link, at each end thereof, arms located in the upper links, which arms are formed as continuous parts of said coil springs and operatively connect said springs to the upper links whereby each of the upper and lower links are joined alternately together through said springs so as to be capable of being moved against the force of the springs from an unextended position to an extended position, and removable spacer plates which locate in the upper links to space apart two pairs of the arms which extend from 5 adjacent lower links.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France Mar. 26, 

